How Florida Impacted the Civil Rights Movement
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Visits St. Augustine, Fl
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. visited the city of St. Augustine in the summer of 1964. During his stay, Dr. King gave many speeches, participated in marches and demonstrations, and even got arrested for this participation. In fact, St. Augustine is the only city in Florida where Dr. King was arrested or spent time in jail.
Why was he arrested?
Dr. King was arrested on the steps of the Monson Motor Lodge for not leaving the resaurant within the hotel after he and his party of 6 African Americans were asked to leave because of their race. Prior to being arrested, Dr. King and the owner of the hotel and restaurant, Mr. Brock, had a conversation about civil rights.
Watch it here!
The manager of the Monson Motor Lodge raising an American flag and a confederate flag.
Dr. King being arrested and put into a police car in front of the Monson Motor Lodge.
There was a police dog in the back seat to intimidate Dr. King during his ride to the police station.
The Monson Motor Lodge is no longer a part of the St. Augustine community. These days a different hotel can be found in its place across San Marco Ave. from the Matanzas Bay: The Hilton.
Even though the Lodge is gone, this famous pool is still present in St. Augustine. It is now the pool used by residents at the Hilton and is not as easily accessed since the owners of the Hilton built a cement wall around the pool's perimeter. Regardless, the pool is still visible to the public.
Monson's Motor Lodge is also the site of the famous Monson's Lodge pool integration.
On June 18, 1964, two white individuals and seven African American individuals integrated the pool at the Monson's Motor Lodge by simply swimming in it together. The photos to the left show how the authorities handled the situation.
An off-duty police officer, Henry Billitz, jumped into the pool to remove the swimmers and then Mr. Brock tried to force the swimmers out of the pool by pouring acid into the water.
